Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-03
NOYEL-MAKING,
"sHf.~ AsD WHERE DID SIZE CONE
FR0Mi
The Strange Case Of Tom Moore and Nr.
Rider Haggard- The Few
School.
rpalI-Nall Budgctl

fPall-Maii Budget a,f
In his lecture on 1.-The Literature OF
Fiction ;" o few days ago Mr.. II. ID.
Trail secuted the idea Of the American
novelist that "all the stories had been
told" and triumphantly pointed to the
"new school Of romance as proof OF
the contrary. OF that school Mr.. II.
Rider Haggard is one OF the most sue
cessful members. He has scared into
fame on the pinions of two novels-for
no one knows the names of his other
yorks--and the Historical adventure
which has evoked so much admiration for
its daring originality" is still selling
by thousands. Such is the way of the
world. however, that it seems to be
quite ignorant Of a romance published
eighty wears ago, which contains almost
ali the Ingredients OF Mr.. Haggard's
literary masterpiece. II Mr.. Haggard
has never read this book the parallel
we are about to draw will be intensely
interesting to one of his disposition,
while9he coincidence Will even
astonish Mr.. Pinero-who is used to
such things.
The "Epicurean, by Thomas Moore,
is q pretended translation from the
Greek. II concerns the fortune OF IN
Athenian Pagan, who is told in dream
tibet if he "goes unto the shores OF tue
dark Ni.e he will find the eternal life
he seeks" Whereupon Alciphron (the
name of the Epicurean) makes use OF
the following words, the idea contained
in which readers of "She will imme-
diately recognize as forming the key
note Of Mr.. Haggard's romance:
"Who knows but that in Egypt, that
region of wonders, where mystery hath
vet unfolded but half her treasures
who can tell but that some powerful
charm, some amulet, may there lie hid.
whose discovery, as this phantom hath
promised, but awaits my coming-some
compound of the same pure atoms that
form the essence of the living stars,
and whose infusion into the frame OF
man might render him also unfading
and immortal ?" Gap. ii.)
Alciphron then determines to seek
this source Of eternal life, and strangely
enough his voyage was not unlike that
of Leo Vincey and Horace Holly, for a
yhirlwind arose, the vessel was driven
ont of her course, and was nearly
wrecked. This, however, is an unln-
portant detail, and the next coincidence
we come to is very striking. Here we
have the very germ of Mr.. Haggards
story:
"Yes, cried. Immortality must
be within mans reach and, as wisdom
alone is worthy of such a blessing, to
the wise alone must the secret have been
revealed. 1t is said that deep under
Wonder pyramid has lain for ages con-
cealed the Table Of Emerald. =
Why, then, may not the mightier, the
more godlike secret, that gives life at
will. be recorded there also ? 1t was by
the power of gold, of endless gold, that
the kings who now repose in those massy
structures scraped earth to the very
centre and raised quarrels into the air
to provide for themselves tombs that
might outstand the world. Who knows
but that they themselves still liveg "
Gap. iv) G. =. -,
Somuch for the g originality " OF Mr..
Haggard's leading ideas. We now come
to the background of his romance, and
find again that someof his most Striking
pictures are only highly colorctE copies
of those drawn by Moore. The Ethio-
plans Head" for which the veyagers
were to seek, and the river and the
canal by which they reached the mys-
terious city of Kor, are little changed
from the signs for which Alciphron was
TO look in order to be guided to the hut
of a Christian hermit:
"There stands on the eastern bank
| of the Nile, to the north of Antinoe, a
high and steep rock, impending oyel
| the floods which has borne for ages,
from prodigy connected with 1t, the
name of the Mountain of the Birds.
Through the ravine there ran
| in ancient times canal from the Nile
to some great and forgotten city now
buried in the desert. To q short dis
lance from the river this canal still
exists, but after having passed through
the defile its scanty waters dis
appear. (Cap. XIV L un
| dertook. at the anxious desire OF my
companion, to ascertain the site o.
that well-known mountain.
60 little was there Of life now stirring
along the shores that had now begun
almost to despair Of any assistance
from inquiry, when, on looking to the
western bank, | saw boatman AMONG
the sedges. Hailing him as he passed
asked, Where stands the Mountain
of the Birds and he had hardly time
as he pointed above US, 10 answer
There, when we perceived that W.
were just entering into the shadow
which this mighty rock filings acroS
the whole of the flood. In few mo
ments we had reached the mouth o
the rayine, of which the Mountain o
the Birds forms one OF the sides, anC
through which the scanty canal iron
the Nile flows. = > l succeeded
after no small exertion, in turning thu
boat out of the current of the river ant
stearing into this bleak and stsgnan
canal" Gap. Nv.
| Almost every sentence in this passag
will be found duplicated in She, an'
every word must recall the scene de
picted by Mr.. Haggard as his heroe
Journey towards K6r. Every one vii
remember that graphic description o
the wonderful grottoes and tombs seel
by Holly. But, again, it is Moore VIII
suggests the very picture which MI
Haggard has so cleverly drawn in tn
following sentences
"There lies TO the north OF Memphi
a solitary lake, upon whose shore
stands the Metropolis or City OF tn
Desd-s place of melancholy grandeur
covered over with shrines andpyramids
Through range of sepulchred grot
underneath the humber denizens c
the tomb are deposited.
/ looked up, and beheld risin
in succession before me pyrami
beyond pyramid, each towering NOR
: loftily than the other. Gap. w. TIL
path opened into straigf
} and steep gallery, along each side
which stood, closely ranged and III
right, file of lifeless bodies. Gap. vii
Halfway down this mountain, where
impends over the ravine, he found
series of caves or grottoes, which Ia
in other times ministered to some pu
pose of mystery" Gap. XVII
Perhaps the most wonderful cnaptt
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